The exterior façade of 181 Fremont, a unitized curtainwall system designed by Heller Manus Architects, features a distinctive sawtooth pattern that extends through the entire height of the 55-story building. Acting as a passive solar design system, the sawtooth pattern dictates that window mullions in the curtainwall angle slightly in against one another and function as shading devices as the sun passes over the building each day.

The energy performance of 181 Fremont is enhanced by Solarban 70XL glass, an advanced triple-silver-coated low-e glass that blocks 70 percent of the sun’s heat energy while enabling 65 percent of the ambient daylight to pass through.

Richard Green, principal of Front, Inc., and one of three judges for the USGlass Green Design awards, said that the “innovative façade geometry adds to the efficiency and enjoyment of the space and creates a distinctive aesthetic. The tuning of the building demonstrates that we do not need to be constrained to the plot orientation to optimize the façade for daylight and efficiency,” he explained.

LEED-certified at the platinum level, 181 Fremont is glazed with 240,000 square-feet of Solarban 70XL glass. Benson Industries was the glazing contractor. Hartung Glass, a member of the Vitro Certified™ Network, was the glass fabricator.

About Vitro Architectural Glass
Vitro Architectural Glass, part of Vitro, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV:VITROA), is a new organization created from Vitro’s acquisition of PPG’s flat glass business unit. Now the largest company of its kind in the Americas, Vitro Architectural Glass manufactures industry-leading brands such as Solarban®, Sungate® and Starphire Ultra-Clear® glasses at U.S. plants in Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Fresno, California; Salem, Oregon; and Wichita Falls, Texas. The company also operates one of the world’s largest glass research and development facilities in Pittsburgh and four residential glass fabrication plants in Canada. For more information, please visit www.vitroglazings.com.

Solarban is a registered trademark owned by Vitro.Vitro Certified™ is a trademark owned by Vitro.